Chapter 204: Chapter 203: Slapping the Green Tea Empress Dowager 20
Mr. Liu desperately tried to stop Emperor Jianwu.
"Your Majesty, you can’t go, Prince Kang has already left. If you make a scene now, wouldn’t it disgrace the Empress Dowager?"
Emperor Jianwu kicked Mr. Liu in a fit of rage: "You dog of a servant, why didn’t you tell me earlier?"
Mr. Liu was also aggrieved: "Your Majesty, I only just found out. I was gathering information on Miss Yun for you."
"I’m so angry."
Emperor Jianwu sat down with a huff: "I really am..."
He pounded the table fiercely.
At that moment, Emperor Jianwu deeply realized that he was short on personnel and that everything he did felt clumsy.
He began to think of cultivating his own people.
At the same time, Emperor Jianwu thought that for Prince Kang, going in and out of the harem was as easy as entering his own Prince Kang Mansion; this showed how many spies he had in the palace. If he wanted to seize power, the first step was to take control of the harem.
He wanted to remove Prince Kang’s spies that were planted in the palace and replace them with his own.
Emperor Jianwu reflected and felt that he should start acting now. The sooner he eliminated Prince Kang’s informants, the sooner he wouldn’t be controlled by Prince Kang anymore, and then he would have the chance to turn the tables.
He was determined, but the timing was not yet right.
Prince Kang was too dominant. If he made any slight move, Prince Kang might well detect it.
It would be best...
Emperor Jianwu narrowed his eyes and called Mr. Liu: "Do we have anyone in Prince Kang Mansion?"
Mr. Liu frowned and thought for a long time: "Your Majesty, we don’t have anyone in Prince Kang Mansion, but the Empress Dowager does. Didn’t she just bestow Xiao Lu to Prince Kang? It’s said Xiao Lu is always with Princess Kang and is greatly favored by her."
Emperor Jianwu’s eyes darted around: "Can you get Xiao Lu to work for us?"
Mr. Liu forced a smile: "Your Majesty, there is something others might not know, but I do. It is well known in the palace that Xiao Lu and Xiao Yu are sisters. However, what I know, being from the same hometown as them, is that they have a younger brother outside the palace. Xiao Lu’s brother has a good family status and is said to study well. Why not care for him a little? I believe Xiao Lu would listen to Your Majesty for her brother’s sake."
Emperor Jianwu smiled: "Good servant, leave this matter to you, and make sure it’s done quickly. Have her brother pass a message to her, telling her to find a way to weaken Prince Kang’s health."
Mr. Liu spoke in a low voice: "There are secret medicines in the palace, the Empress Dowager has some, but... why not ask Nanny Qin for help? Nanny Qin adores Your Majesty and will surely provide them."
Emperor Jianwu nodded after hearing this.
He did not delay and quickly went to find Nanny Qin, only to say he needed it to entertain the beasts in the Treasure Garden, and got some secret medicines from Nanny Qin.
With the medicine in hand, Emperor Jianwu couldn’t help overthinking.
The reason why Nanny Qin had the medicine was that it was given by the Empress Dowager. The Empress Dowager must have more secret medicines, and with her own people in the harem, if she wanted to harm someone, it would be done without anyone being the wiser.
Thinking this, Emperor Jianwu couldn’t help but feel afraid.
He handed the medicine to Mr. Liu, instructing him to find a way to get it to Xiao Lu and have her find a way to administer it to Prince Kang.
Mr. Liu went out to carry out the task. After a few days, he informed Emperor Jianwu that the medicine had been delivered to Xiao Lu.
Emperor Jianwu waited and waited, nearly a month passed, and finally, news came from Xiao Lu saying the medicine had been used on Prince Kang.
Emperor Jianwu was especially pleased, he had been looking forward to this day.
He eagerly hoped for Prince Kang to fall ill; he could then relax for a while.
If Prince Kang was sick now, his control over the harem would relax, and that would be the time to eliminate his spies.
Meanwhile, Xiao Lu was standing in front of Anning.
Anning had a smile on her face, her hands clutching the bag of medicine given by Emperor Jianwu for Xiao Lu.
She sniffed the medicine powder: "The medicine is well-prepared, but it’s not as effective as mine. He’s gotten off cheap."
Xiao Lu bowed her head: "If the Prince investigates, then your servant will atone with death."
Anning took out a packet of medicine from her sleeve and gave it to Xiao Lu: "This is fake death medicine. If this matter truly comes to light, drink this medicine beforehand and pretend to be so afraid of the crime that you take your own life. Before you die, tell the Prince that it was the Empress Dowager who made you administer the drug."
Xiao Lu nodded.
Anning smiled and patted her hand: "Don’t worry, I won’t let anything happen to you. Besides, things may not even reach that point."
After thinking for a bit, Anning asked Xiao Lu: "How are things on the Empress Dowager’s side?"
Xiao Lu made a hand gesture, and Anning knew it was a success.
Shoukang Palace
The Empress Dowager looked at the food in front of her with no appetite at all, and the smell of meat made her feel even more nauseous to the point of discomfort.
She waved her hand: "Take it away. I feel bothered just by looking at it. Is there anything lighter?"
But even when the lighter food was served, she still didn’t feel like eating. She barely tolerated the nausea and took a sip of porridge, only to vomit it out immediately.
Nanny Qin frowned with worry.
She asked the palace maids to leave and helped the Empress Dowager sit up properly, then softly said to her: "Could it be that you are with child?"
Eh?
Thinking about the episode with Prince Kang a month ago, the Empress Dowager’s face changed color instantly.
She touched her stomach: "No, it can’t be. If it’s true... what should I do?"
After considering for a moment, the Empress Dowager said: "Go call Doctor Wang over."
Nanny Qin went out and not long after, brought an Imperial Physician in.
When Doctor Wang entered Shoukang Palace, he felt uneasy.
After taking the Empress Dowager’s pulse, he was so frightened that he went pale: "Empress, this is a pregnancy pulse."
His statement instantly silenced the entire room.
It took a long while for the Empress Dowager to warn Doctor Wang: "Do not tell anybody, and also, bring some abortifacient medicine."
Doctor Wang pondered carefully: "Empress, your health has never been very good. You’ve also been drugged in your early years. If you were to use harsh drugs to abort the pregnancy, it would be inevitable... In short, this servant does not dare to administer such medicine to you."
It was quite clear what Doctor Wang meant; if an abortion was truly sought, it might endanger the Empress Dowager’s health – he would not take such a risk.
The Empress Dowager turned deathly pale.
Nanny Qin glanced at the Empress Dowager, then back at Doctor Wang: "Empress, why not leave the palace for a while since the fetus is still small? Once the child is born, we can... we can send it to Prince Kang Mansion. If the Empress and this servant do not speak, and Doctor Wang does not speak, who would know that the Empress was pregnant?"
After much consideration, the Empress Dowager finally nodded: "You’re right. I’ll think of a way for us to leave the palace for some time."
After Nanny Qin left, she found Xiao Yu.
"What medicine did you give me? Why has the Empress Dowager..."
Xiao Yu thought for a moment: "Nanny, it was given by His Majesty. I’m not too sure but could it be that it wasn’t contraceptive but actually meant to preserve pregnancy?"
This made Nanny Qin entertain more thoughts: "Could it be that His Majesty desires a child with the Empress Dowager?"
Xiao Yu nodded: "I’m afraid that’s the case. Nanny, please persuade the Empress Dowager well. As long as we stay out of the palace for some time and with His Majesty’s protection, I suppose there won’t be any problems."
Nanny Qin thought that there was no other choice.
When she returned to see the Empress Dowager, the Empress Dowager asked her to send a message to Prince Kang Mansion.
Nanny Qin conveyed the message through a special channel but did not receive a reply from Prince Kang Mansion for a long time. After a few days, a message came saying that Prince Kang was ill.
This truly made the Empress Dowager furious.
Prince Kang could have fallen ill at any other time, but he chose to do so after she became pregnant - was he trying to evade responsibility?